Package



Oct. 31, 1967 B. SALWAY PACKAGE Filed Feb. 5, 1966 a 1 v F J k; '3 -2l- 3'0 35' l 26" 1 -2a- -22- -29 e1- 27,

United States Patent-O 3,349,985 PACKAGE Brian Salway, Redland, Bristol, England, assignor to E S & A Robinson (Holdings) Limited, Bristol, England, a company of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Filed Feb. 3, 1966, SenNo. 524,713

Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 4, 1965 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-44) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Packages are described which are resistant to fluids, grease or the transmission of moisture vapour, each of whichhas a tray of plastics material for containing foodstuffs or the like and an enclosing shell sealed to the tray. The shell provides a combined lid and protective outer casing for the tray and may be attached to the tray by heat sealing or other suitable means.

This invention relates to packages particularly suitable for containing foodstuffs.

According to this invention a package comprises a tray of plastics material and an enclosing shell, the said tray having an out-turned peripheral flange with an upper face and an under face and the shell comprising a row of panels of carton forming material hinged one to the next, the upper face of the flange being sealed to the inside surface of the shell, the outer surface of one end panel of said shell being secured to the under face of said flange whereby part of said flange is sandwiched between two portions of the shell to provide a package resistant to fluids, grease or to moisture vapour transmission. The said tray may be pressure formed or thermo formed and made of protective material or of material which can be rendered so by coating or laminating. The shell may be pre-glued or flat and made of fully or partially coated or laminated material to give any barrier properties required and such material may be itself capable of being heat-sealed to the tray. Instead, a heat sealable coating medium in the form of an all over coating or pattern may be applied to areas to be sealed on the shell and/or the tray, or the areas to be sealed may be strip laminated. If desirable, the heat sealable coating medium may be-peela-ble i.e. of such a character that the contacting surfaces of the tray and shell can be separated without being destroyed.

The term carton forming material is intended to cover cardboard and other fibrous sheet material and plastics.

One form of package made according to this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a blank of a form of shell.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the package formed from the tray and shell.

FIG. 4'is a perspective view of the package in the open position.

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 55 on FIG. 3.

3,349,985 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 Referring to the drawings, the shell is formed as a flat blank and erected around the tray. The blank shown in FIG. 1 comprises a top panel 21, a back panel 22, a bottom panel 23, a front panel 24 having a flap 25. The top panel 21 has a closing flap 26 with a tuck-in tab 27 which engages a slit 28 on the front panel 24. The top panel 21 is also provided with a line of weakening 29 and two parallel lines of perforations 30 which together define a lid panel 31 and marginal panels 32. The lines 30 extend into the flap 26 defining tabs 33 on the marginal portions of the'flap 26.

The tray shown in FIGS. 2-5 comprises a bottom 34 with a raised centre portion 35, fluted walls 36 and a continuous peripheral flange 37, the front part of which is numbered 38.

In use, the tray is filled with the product to be packaged and the cardboard blank is applied to the tray by heat sealing the flap 25 to the underside of the front part 38 of the flange 37 and heat sealing the marginal portions of the top panel 21 to the upper surface of the flange 37. The tabs 33 are adhered to the front panel 24. The part 38 of the flange 37 is thus sandwiched between the two panels 25 and 21 of the blank. A spot of heat sealable or hot melt adhesive at the centre of the inside of the flap 26 adheres the flap 26 to the front panel 24.

In order to gain access to the contents of the tray, the tab 27 is taken between the thumb and finger and the flap at 26 is raised from the front panel 24 thereby breaking through the lines of perforations 30 along the front and top of the shell so that the lid panel 31 can be raised along the hinge line 29. The tabs 33 remain adhered to the front panel 24.

If it is desired to retain any portion of the contents of Y If desired the perforations 30 can be dispensed with and part of the whole of the top made peelable.

The package can be used for any commodity at present packed in ordinary trays with sealed lids.

The rigidity and uniformity imparted by the shell makes possible the easy stacking in and dispensing from vending machines. The easy method of access makes it possible to increase the range of products packed to include fruit drinks, motor oil and milk.

The tray may be formed with multiple cavities, the shell being of construction previously described. The package can be used for whole meals, each item being arranged in a separate cavity, or single dish placed in a tray as previously described. In either case the food can a series of shells united in such a way that one or more each with its own tray, can be readily separated from the remainder.

The package can be readily heated in a microwave oven. If desired the package can have a built-in heating system with disposable electrodes, the arrangement being such that when connected to an electric supply at low voltage, the food contained in the package can be heated and/ or kept hot at an appropriate temperature.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A package comprising a tray of plastics material and an enclosing shell, the said tray having an out-turned peripheral flange with an upper face and an under face; said shell comprising a row of panels of carton forming material hinged one to the next, the upper face of said flange being sealed to the inside surface of said shell, the outer surface of one end panel of said shell being secured to the under face of said flange whereby part of saidflange is sandwiched between two portions of said shell.

2. A package according to claim 1, wherein one of said panels forms a top for said tray and wherein at least part of the top panel of said shell is readily openable to expose the contents of the tray while the rest of said shell remains attached to the tray.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,014,335 9/1935 Kilmer et al.

3,142,378 7/1964 Lengsfield 206'-65 3,154,215 10/1964 Vesconte 20646 X 3,175,684 3/1965 Andre et a1. 20665 3,220,542 11/ 1965 Vesconte 206-4531 3,246,825 4/ 1966 Zastrow 22951 3,281,051 10/1966 OBrien et a1. 20646 X 3,286,909 11/ 1966 Scharre -a 20646 20 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

M. L. RICE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PACAKAGE COMPRISING A TRAY OF PLASTICS MATERIAL AND AN ENCLOSING SHELL, THE SAID TRAY HAVING AN OUT-TURNED PERIPHERAL FLANGE WITH AN UPPER FACE AND AN UNDER FACE; SAID SHELL COMPRISING A ROW OF PANELS OF CARTON FORMING MATERIAL HINGED ONE TO THE NEXT, THE UPPER FACE OF SAID FLANGE BEING SEALED TO THE INSIDE SURFACE OF SAID SHELL, THE OUTER SURFACE OF ONE END PANEL OF SAID SHELL BEING SECURED TO THE UNDER FACE OF SAID FLANGE WHEREBY PART OF SAID FLANGE IS SANDWICHED BETWEEN TWO PORTIONS OF SAID SHELL. 